Shanghai

Hi Guys, I arrived in Shanghai yesterday.  The weather is a bit cold and rainy. It seems that everytime I come here, there are new buildings that weren't here before.  Also, many new roads and a new train. The new airport is much nicer than the old one.  But it takes over an hour to get into town with the traffic nowadays.  I remember when most of the people were riding bicycles here.  That is definately a thing of the past. There is also a new prosperity.  A lot of people have good jobs with good incomes.

 So Jim?  Like This?              [ Jim in Shanghai ] Or This snapshot from outside your hotel? Amazing what a little bit of photoshop will produce!                                   Send us some 'Real' Photos!                                    Have a Great One!  Best Wishes- Dx

Dx, Nice job with the photoshop. Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera on this trip.  I have been here so many times that I stopped taking pictures.  The more I travel, the less I pack.  I am a very light traveler. Jim

I haven't been to Shanghai in over 20 years. At that time, although it was more modern than Beijing, I would not have called it "modern". Also, very few people with good paying jobs. It was really crowded, but not as crowded as Guangzhou. I remember Guangzhou being so crowded that it was impossible to jog.

Sounds like the place has made incredible, incredible economic progress.

Dave

I'm envious.  What an exciting time to be in Shanghai!  Are you having an easier time of things with the weight you've already lost?  Easy to find food you can eat comfortably there? Ken

Ken, I am definately having an easier time getting around after losing some weight.  It has made a big difference. And, yes, it is easy to find things to eat here.  It is  a seafood lovers paradise.  You do need to be careful about ingredients.  I always ask if things have sugar or honey in them.  And, it they do, I ask them to leave it out. Although I am not a diabetic, I have requested diabetic meals on the planes.  They don't have any sugar and are low in fat.  That has worked out very well for me.   Jim

Hey, a recap with no reference to food or weight.  Sounds like you are adjusting to regular daily life.  Sounds like this trip has been a good experience for you phsycologically maybe.  Sounds like you are having a great time.  SOunds like you are traveling the world AND I'M STUCK HERE IN THIS CUBICLE SUCKING ON A PROTEIN BAR,....oh,.......did I say that out lound???     Seriousy, thanks for the posts and sharing your journeys and experience. It does sound like this has been a positive thing for you.

Joe, It has been a very positive experience for me and a confidence builder. The trip has really helped me make the transition from post-op patient to normal. And, although world travel sounds glamorous.  It is not really all that you might think.  I have been doing this for many years and it gets old very quickly.  The flights are really long.  And, I am actually working most of the time. On my down time, I have been exercising or using the pool.  I don't do a lot of sightseeing, since I already saw most of the sights here.

I'm really curious as to what you can get away with eating in China. Steamed veggies, shrimp and chicken I'm guessin? I would think a lot of the sauces and spices could do evil things.

I have been eating a lot of seafood.  However, I did have a couple of steaks, chicken, lamb, veggies, tofu, etc. The hotels have western style food in addition to Asian food. You can always get eggs if you are stuck. I really enjoyed chicken and beef satay in SE Asia.  It is grilled on skewered and served with peanut sauce. I had steamed chicken breast that was very moist and delicious.  It was served with stir fryed veggies. In the Chinese restaurants, I've been eating prawns (shrimp), scallops, fish, soup, and dim sum.  I open up the dim sum and eat the stuffing, which is usually ground pork or fish. It has been a lot easier than I thought.